3 Phases- shortest election in J&K in 2 decades

Srinagar, Aug 16: The Election Commission has announced a three-phase election for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, marking the shortest election cycle in the erstwhile state in over two decades.

The polls are scheduled for September 18, 25, and October 1, with voters in 90 constituencies set to participate. Of these constituencies, 43 are in Jammu and 47 in Kashmir.

The newly delimited assembly has 74 general seats, nine reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates, and seven for Scheduled Tribes. The total electorate in the UT is 87.09 lakh, with 44.46 lakh male voters and 42.62 lakh female voters. The final electoral roll is expected to be published on August 20.

This condensed election schedule is significant, especially given J&K history of security challenges, which has traditionally led to polls being spread over four or more phases.

Previous elections in 2002, 2008, and 2014 were held over four, seven, and five phases, respectively. However, these earlier elections were conducted before the bifurcation of the state in August 2019, when Ladakh was separated from Jammu and Kashmir. The erstwhile state had 111 seats, with 46 in Kashmir, 37 in Jammu, and four in Ladakh.

The decision to hold the elections in just three phases comes in the wake of recent terror attacks and the expectation of a higher number of candidates than usual. Typically, the phasing of elections is determined by the complexity of the state's security situation, with more phases allowing for the adequate deployment of security personnel and their movement between divisions. This approach is common in states affected by militancy or left-wing extremism.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that the enthusiasm for democratic participation in Jammu and Kashmir, which was evident during the Commission's visit to the region on August 8 and 9.

He added that the decision to conduct the polls over three phases was made deliberately to keep the process short, drawing on the experience of the Lok Sabha elections, which were criticized for being excessively prolonged.

Jammu and Kashmir have been without an elected legislative assembly for five years, with the last elections held in 2014. The upcoming elections follow the Supreme Court's directive in December last year, which set a deadline of September 30 for the assembly polls to be conducted in JK.